Whether you want a new career, or to start a business, or a retirement income knowing what you want out of life gives you the keys to success!

What’s that I hear you say, “I’ve heard that before, but I don’t know what I want.”

So how do you figure out what it is that you want out of life?  There are lots of exercises out there to help you decide what it is you want to do.  One very simple exercise is to look closely at what you love to do, what makes you happy.  To do this follow these simple steps:

• Get a pencil and paper.
• Make a simple list of all the things you enjoy doing.
• Now break the list down to the top 10 (if you have a small list, don’t feel you should have more, just skip this process).

“Ok, I’ve figured out what I love to do, now what?”

• Now, look through your list and try to think of ways you can make a living doing what you love.

This step may involve some research on the internet, or at the library, chatting to friends or relatives, or talking to a coach.  This step may take some time, but is worth the effort, you can always set a time limit.  Most people want to get going straight away, but a little planning now may save a lot of headache further down the line.

“Ok, I’ve got a sort of plan, now what?”

• Start.

Take some form of action.  Whatever you choose to do will move you forward towards your goal.  Doing nothing will get you nowhere.

• Visualize, really see yourself doing and succeeding in what you want to do. Imagine what it feels like to be successful, what does it look like, how will your life be?

Take a few minutes each day to visualize what it will look and feel like when you succeed.  This is a simple exercise that helps you push forward to achieve your goal.  It’s a technique used by sports teams and many highly successful people every day.  So, for a few minutes each day feel free to see yourself in your future success.

“But what I’m trying isn’t working”.

• Be prepared to change
  

If you’re at a point where you’ve been trying and trying, but you are just not getting anywhere, pull back, take a long look at what your doing and be prepared to change either one aspect, or all of what you are doing.  Look at all sides of the equation and be brutally honest with yourself, is this what you really want?  Often times it has nothing to do with you personally, it just isn’t the right time.  Maybe you need to put whatever the goal is aside for a while and try something else.  This does not mean you have to abandon it completely, you can come back to it on another, more suitable occasion.

“It sounds like a lot of work.  What will I get out of all this effort?”

Knowing what you want out of life and why you want it, gives you authenticity, integrity, focus, life satisfaction and a love for what you do.  Customers, friends and relatives will all enjoy being around you when they see your love for life and the work you do. What more can any of us ask for?